Another way of telling

Human stories abound in instances of how, in the deadliest of communal riots, there are always good Samaritans who save victims at great risk to themselves. Recently, there has been much written on the Samjhauta Express tragedy, depicting the indifference of the Indians. Understandably, the Pakistan government would condemn its Indian counterpart for locking the train. However, the Indian policeman who lost his life trying to rescue Pakistani passengers has not received media attention. India and Pakistan are perpetually spewing venom at each other, yet, on a people-to-people level, the hospitality rendered towards each other is incomparable. This is the emotional facet of history which may never surface except in literature. One hears such heartrending tales, such as I heard of a Pakistani who desired that soil be brought from his former village in India for his burial rites; so perforce, the soils of the two nations did mingle.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars, but I do know of a prisoner of war in 1971 whose escape was aided by an Indian just because they belonged to the same village before Independence. I was witness as he narrated the tale; while he reminisced, he wept copiously. Those mutual tears are an expression of remorse and rapprochement. Such stories have escaped historiography but they reinforce one8217;s faith in the creed of humanity as it triumphs over religious and racial disparity, nationalities and, most of all, animosity. Such stories are never documented or narrated officially. But such episodes should be integrated into historiography: it would not only humanise the telling of it but also favourably affect the future course of history.